Flue and tubular steam-generator



(N o Model.)

H. 0.,'REW.

FLUE AND TUBULAR STEAM GENERATOR. 210,290,927. APatellted Dec. 25,1883..

Hmmmwww1H NTTnn STATES xPATENT ifv h. I.

ITFICE@` HENRY-G. REV, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,927', dated December 25, 1882.

Applicatirgn led May 9,1883. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, HENRY C. REW, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flue and Tubular Steam- Generators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art-to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Y This invention has for its object the employment of inflammable gases admixed with atmospheric air, either in its normal condition or under pressure, as a means of producing heat, and also the construction of a steamgenerator peculiarly adapted to the use of gas as a fuel. The heat is produced by the ignition or burning of a jet or jets of mixed air and gas. The gases employed may be common coal-gas, carbureted hydrogen, the vapor of, hydrocarbons, or other suitable gas or mixtures obtained from the decomposition of carbonaceous materials and steam, or by the destructive distillation of vegetable or mineral substances.

In carrying my said invention into practice, the atmospheric air used is mixed with any one of the gases or vapors described, in vessels or in pipes or nozzles previous to issuingr through the gas burner or burners. The air and gases may be kept under sufficient pressure to causethe mixed air and gas to issue at any required rate through the burners, and is capable of being regulated from very low to intense temperatures, the air-pipe and gaspipe being `joined at any desired point pre- .iro

vious to the gas issuing from the burners, and which gas-mixtures may be ignited by means of an electric current conducted to the burners for that purpose. The pipes are preferablyprovided with valves, so that the person requiring to use the mixed air and gas may adjust the proportion of the air and gas in the mixture according to the quality ofthe gasor gases used and the temperature and purpose for which the same is required, with the view of more perfectly developing and attaining the full benefits and economy in burning mixtures of air and gas, and rendering an intensity of heat greater than the original base of fuel by the common Way, and competent to effect more rapid generation of steam in boilers by a process 'practically automatic and more exalted and uniform heat for manufacture Without the cumbrous, uncertain, and irregular means usually adapted to obtain such heat, but which from its power, yetlesser bulk and simpler and continuous means of handling and applying, necessarily alter the practical conditions prescribed as to areas and di'mensions in steam-boilers, ilues, and furnaces consequent on the use of more ponderous raw fuel. For this object I construct a steamboiler and furnace better suit-ed to edect primary incandescence, the more perfect saturation of the equivalents of combustion so essential to economy of fuel and intensity of 7c heat, neither condition of Which is practically attainable in common furnaces or boilers for the consumption of the solid and raw fuels.

The peculiar construction of my steam-generator will be better understood by reference to the drawings hereto annexed, in which- Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved boiler, within which steam is raised by the communication of heat produced according to my aforesaid improvements, and which figure also illustrates my neu' method of supplying Water to the boiler.

In the upper part of the boileran arrangement of apparatus for effecting the combustion of the admixed gas and air is situated as shown. rIhis consists of a chamber, A, and burners D D, into which the `mixed gas and air is conducted by a pipe, lfrom which a branch pipe, C, leads into said chamber, and from which it is distributed to burners D D, held in openings formed at nearly the center of the chamber A. lThe mixed air and gas is ignited at the burners D D, preferably by means of an electric current passing through suitable conductors, a a, to the point of ignition. To provide for this chamber A, this boiler is formed centrally with an enlargement near its upper end. and Within this enlargement I locate the said chamber A, which forms the combustion-chamber. At tivo or more points around this enlargement is situated a series IOO of, say, Bunsen burners, D D, to which the air and gas are supplied, and below this enlargement of the boiler I secure an annulus in the form of an angle-iron, E, by which the boiler is suspended, or by other suitable means, upon which the boiler may rest. At various points around this angle-iron E, and through it, I locate similar noz'zles or burners, D', to those above described, which open into an auxiliary combustionchamber, F, which ehamber envelops the lower portion of the boiler. This auxiliary chamber F communicates with a lower chamber, which is also common to the tubes or flues b b, leading from the main combustion-chamber A. Theair and gas mixture from the latter-described burners may also be provided with igniting electric wires a, in like manner as the burners D. The products of combustion from the boiler are conducted through the tubes and iiues to and through passages G II, situated below the lues and tubes F b by which, after having imparted their heat to the water and steam contained in the boiler, they are discharged into a vertical ilue, I, chimney, or other suitable eXit. The outward flow of the products of combustion may be regulated, and, if desired, kept under a moderate pressure, by means of the valve I) on the top of the vertical flue I, whereby the said products may be kept longer in contact with the heating-surfaces of the boiler.

I prefer to make the boiler vertical and run it into a chamber extending considerably below the surface of the earth, so that it is well out of the way and occupies a very small space,

Yand by making it deep and causing the drai1 to be downward I compel the products of combustion to travel in a direction opposite to their natural tendency, and also in an opposite direction to the upward ilow ot' water, and in this way they are held longer in contact with the heating-surface of the boiler, and therefore give up their heat to the water to a greater extent than if they escaped rapidly in a direct upward draft. In this way nearly the entire surface of the boiler, externally and internally, is exposed to the heat, which must necessarily generate the maximum of steam from the minimum of fuel. The annoyance of smoke, ash, cinder, and other evils of burning solid fuel is entirely avoided. rl`hc boiler tubes and sheets are free from carbon and sooty deposits, which, by the old method, greatly retard the rapid generation of steam, the heat is uniform and continuous, and thereby any irregular expansion or contraction caused by gushes of cold air into the furnace when feeding raw fuel, as by the old method, is also avoided. rIhe central combustionchamber is entirely surrounded with water, except the openings for access and fuel.

The upper portion of the boiler or steamspace is provided with the usual appliances for safety and steam pipes, and also with afloat, J, to which is attached a rod, e, which passes through a stuffing-box, d, and to which rod Z is attached a lever, f, and it in turn to a rod, r/,which controls a valve, hf, in the watersupply pipe K, which communicates with a water-tank, L,which tank is designed to serve a particular purpose in conjunction with the boiler, which will hereinafter more fully appear.

Fig. 2 of the drawings shows a cross-section of my boiler, taken on the line .t a' of Fig. l; but in this figure I show an annular pipe, M, providedwith nipple-burners@ i, radiating inversely toward the center, by means of which the mixed air and gases are made to focalize, and thus become more intimately mixed and atomized, by which their complete combustion and a pure incandescence is effected, and consequently a more| intense heat from a given quantity of fuel-gas is produced.

The construction of burner shown by Fig. 2 is admirably adapted to utilizing the hydrocarbons in combination with superheated steam and heated air, and thus generate gases from waste or other steam capable not only of supporting combustion, but of rendering an intense heat. In this apparatus the steam, air, and oil,or oil and water-gas, are intimately brought together, decomposed, and atomized, and when mixed in suitable proportions produce an intensity of heat seldom excelled for generating steam and heating purposes.

The operation is as follows: It is designed to have the pressure in the boiler nearly the same as that in the feed-water tank. To do this I locate the tank at a sufficient height so that its column of water will be equal to the pressure desired. Say, if we want fifty pounds,

the height of the tank will be equal to produce that pressure in the boiler, or more or less, as occasion may require. In order to regulate the pressure in the boiler and to sup` ply it automatically for different pressures, I graduate the height ofthe tanksinto divisions from, say, as an illustration, two to fourteen pounds. I provide each one of these divisions with an overow-cock, so that any desired pressure intermediate ofthe maximum and minimum may be produced by opening or closing the cocks, and the safety-valve of the boilerbe correspondingly changed. In thisway the pressure in the tank is transmitted to the boiler, andrthe same to the engine or other apparatus to which it may be applied.

It is evident that pressures may be maintained on the boiler independent of the tank, which may be produced by the generation of steam; but to feed the boiler with water when it is under high pressure, of course the tank would have to be correspondingly raised, or t-he boiler may be fed by the usual method, but my primary obj ect is to maintain the same pressure on the boiler as that of the tank, in order to supply or furnish a continuous iiow of steam at a uniform pressure. The tank may be made of any suitable material sufiiciently stron g to withstand the pressure there- ICC IIO

in, preferably of boiler-iron, and made so1nestruction and operation, I do not wish to be what the form of a stand-pipe. 'Thewateris supplied to the boiler from the tank through pipe K to the required height indicated by the line j. The float J then rises, and through its intermediate mechanism shuts off the supply by means of valve h. rlhe gas now being admitted under suitable pressure to the conibustion chamber or chambers, and the airpassages open, the electric current or other means of ignition is applied, when combustion at once takes place, and may continue without intermission until the supply ofV gas and air is cut off, without the constant personal attention oi' an attendant, which by the old method is costly, uncertain, and dangerous. It must be understood, however, that the supply of fuel must be regulated not to cause too intense a heat, for fear of burning the boiler-sheets, as the temperature may be raised orlowered to any desired extent by the greater or lesser supply of gas.

It is obvious that the boiler is capable, by my means of applying heat, of generating any quantity of steam which may be required, and to suit the demand either for heating or for motive power.

In order to insure a supply of steam at a pressure corresponding to the weight on the safety-valve and the pressure from the tank, sufficient fuel must be supplied to the combnstion-chamber to cause the steam to blow off slightly at the safety-Valve, so that it may be known that the required pressure of steam is maintained in the boiler uniformly. Pressure-gages may also be employed for the same purpose. Of course, some personal supervision will be required; but ordinarily but little, as when once set and in operation little change is necessitated.

Although this apparatus is designed by me primarily to be used in conjunction with my new system of generating and distributing gas for fuel and illuminating purposes, yet it will be at once evident to those skilled in the art that this boiler may be employed for .any purpose whatever.

Having thus described my invention, its con understood as confining myself strictly to the form sh own. as my principle of utilizing gas as a fuel may come within wide range without departing therefrom.

The subject-matter of claims 1, 2, 3, and 8, omitted from this application on division,will form the subject of a separare application, to be hereafter filed.

I claiml. A steam generator having the central combustion chamber, the downwardly projecting tubular barrel, the annular combustionchamber enveloping said barrel, and the lower series of burners, all combined and arranged to operate substantially as described.

2.. The combination, in a stea1n-generator, of the central combustion-.ehamber, the downwardly -projecting tubular barrel communieating with the lower flue-chamber, and the burners for supplying said combustion-cham. ber with the'supply air and gas pipes, as described.

3. The combination, in a steam-generator, of the central chamber, the downwardly-projecting tubular barrel, and the annular auxiliary combustion chamber with the double series of burners, as described.

4. The combination, with a gas burning steam-generator, ofthe central series of burners supplying the central combustion-chamber, and the lower series of gas-supply burners for supplying the auxiliary combustion-chamber with the exit-fines, as described.

5. The combination, in a steam-generator having the central combustionchamber and the auxiliary chamber, of the fuel-feed nozzles or burners and the electrical igniting-wires, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. REV.

'itnesses B. F. Molesnrr., O. E. DUFFY. 

